Then Bertric whistled sharply, and I looked up at him. He pointed away to the eastward, and out to sea. There I saw far off on the skyline the sails of two ships that grew larger as I watched them.
I went to the break of the after deck and climbed up beside him.
"Men say that two ships passed westwards tonight, master," he said. "Here be two more heading over from the south."
"Can you tell what they are?" I asked him.
"Longships, as I think," he answered. "We shall know betimes."
The vessels hove up quickly, for our great brown sail bore us more or less across their course.
"It is safer to hold on, master," he said, "for to up helm and fly would be to bring them after us if they are vikings. They will see that we are not laden with cargo, and will not pay heed to us therefore."
It was but half an hour after that when we knew that the two ships were Danish war vessels, and that they were laying a fresh course to overhaul us. Nor was there any chance of our escaping them. They were thrice as fast as we.
Then I feared greatly, for I knew not what would happen. It might be that they would let our party go on, finding them to all seeming nought but church folk; but one could not tell, and I feared. So also did Elfric when I went to him and told him what these ships were, and that they were bearing down on us.
"We cannot fight," he said. "We must let things be as the Lord will."